Avital's FB update - Харьковский альбом
The time we went to Kharkov for ten days. Danced. Sang. Never slept. Met the warmest people on earth. Ate meat and potatoes. Drank tea out of measuring cups. Learned. Volunteered. Listened to stories of the past. Strolled. Ice skated. Practiced our Russian translating skills. And discovered family roots.
But You Can't Take The Ukraine Out of the Girl
Brooklyn, pre-trip RAJE shabbaton.
My yummylicious family decides to surprise me in the airport right before my departure ♥
I really meant it when I said we do EVERYTHING together :)
best OJ ever.
Boryspol Airport, Kiev. УЖАС! We missed our connection to Kharkov, naturally, so we got to spend another 6 hours there.
en route to Kharkov, b"H!
the usual pasttime.
The beautiful (and only) kosher restaurant in Kharkov, Shalom Restaurant, to which we were whisked right out of the airport.
Our incredible welcome! Вы Харьковчяни просто КЛАСС!
Kharkov Choral Synagogue. also our dining room often. Also was converted during the Soviets into a sports club...after the fall of the Communists, it was returned to its former beauty.
The adorable presentation we were given by the first grade, all in English at that!
Walking tour begins.
Shevchenko, Ukrainian national poet.
Svoboda (Freedom) Square, which Kharkovians are very eager and proud to introduce to you as the 2nd largest square in all of Europe.
Uncle Lenin still stands. Ah.
Rabbi Moskovich, chief rabbi of Kharkov.
Beautifully chosen verses, painted on the ceiling of the Bet Knesset.
Drobitsky Yar today. A ravine outside of Kharkov, in which 15,000 Jews were gunned down on a December day in 1941.
Mincha prayer before our memorial service.
Memorial museum, at the grave site.
Me reading Yevtushenko's "Babi Yar".
http://remember.org/witness/babiyar.html
Memorial service
But You Can't Take The Ukraine Out of the Girl
Brooklyn, pre-trip RAJE shabbaton.
My yummylicious family decides to surprise me in the airport right before my departure ♥
I really meant it when I said we do EVERYTHING together :)
best OJ ever.
Boryspol Airport, Kiev. УЖАС! We missed our connection to Kharkov, naturally, so we got to spend another 6 hours there.
en route to Kharkov, b"H!
the usual pasttime.
The beautiful (and only) kosher restaurant in Kharkov, Shalom Restaurant, to which we were whisked right out of the airport.
Our incredible welcome! Вы Харьковчяни просто КЛАСС!
Kharkov Choral Synagogue. also our dining room often. Also was converted during the Soviets into a sports club...after the fall of the Communists, it was returned to its former beauty.
The adorable presentation we were given by the first grade, all in English at that!
Walking tour begins.
Shevchenko, Ukrainian national poet.
Svoboda (Freedom) Square, which Kharkovians are very eager and proud to introduce to you as the 2nd largest square in all of Europe.
Uncle Lenin still stands. Ah.
Rabbi Moskovich, chief rabbi of Kharkov.
Beautifully chosen verses, painted on the ceiling of the Bet Knesset.
Drobitsky Yar today. A ravine outside of Kharkov, in which 15,000 Jews were gunned down on a December day in 1941.
Mincha prayer before our memorial service.
Memorial museum, at the grave site.
Me reading Yevtushenko's "Babi Yar".
http://remember.org/witness/babiyar.html
Memorial service